Enuma Elish

Enuma Elish
was the creation myth of the people of Babylonia, a civilization of the
ancient Near East. Written in the form of an
epic,
Enuma Elish gives the Babylonian account of the origin of the world. The
myth is similar to the biblical story of creation in the book of Genesis.

The poem, inscribed on seven tablets, probably dates from around 1100
B
.
C
., although earlier, unrecorded versions of it may have existed long
before that time. Its title, meaning "When on high," comes
from the first line of the epic, which begins: "When on high the
heaven had not been named/Firm ground below had not been called by
name."

Enuma Elish
tells how the Babylonian
deities
were born from a
primeval
goddess named Tiamat, a vast ocean of formless
chaos,
sometimes described as a dragon. Marduk, the
patron
god of the city of Babylon, defeated Tiamat and her army of monsters. He
then divided her corpse into two parts, one of which became heaven and one
earth. He also killed Tiamat's ally, Kingu, and created human beings from
Kingu's blood to serve the gods. Marduk's victory brought order to the
universe.

epic
long poem about legendary or historical heroes, written in a grand
style

deity
god or goddess

primeval
from the earliest times

chaos
great disorder or confusion

patron
special guardian, protector, or supporter

Enuma Elish
had political as well as religious meaning for the Babylonians. By
identifying the heroic creator god as Marduk of Babylon, the myth
justified the city's dominance over the region. For hundreds of years,
celebrations to mark the beginning of the new year in Babylon included a
recital of
Enuma Elish
in many of the city's main temples.